Departments

Working to be the most livable city in the country means placing a high priority on providing excellent customer service. In all 12 municipal departments, our goal is to be responsive, transparent, and accountable.
– Mayor David Bieter

Boise Police Department
News Release

UPDATE: Officer Involved Shooting (1)

UPDATE: Officer Involved Shooting

The Boise Police Officers involved in Monday night’s shooting of a man armed with a knife say they felt the man was about to attack them when they fired their weapons. Both officers were also concerned that if the suspect got away, he could use the knife to take a store employee or customer hostage. Both officers were approx. 7 – 10 feet from the suspect when they fired their weapons.

Both officers say they first saw the knife at the same time the suspect physically fought with an officer as the suspect tried to resist arrest.

Officers Involved: Officer Chris Davis, 7 with BPD.

Officer Jessica Stephens, 2+ years with BPD

Suspect: Theodore Arthur Hansen, 31, no permanent recent address

What Happened - Investigation

Prior to Officer Arrival:

The suspect, identified by the Ada County Coroner as Theodore Arthur Hansen, Jr, 31, had a Felony Warrant for his arrest for forgery in Ada County. Hansen also had at least three other felony warrants from Twin Falls and Jerome Counties.

The Ada County warrant named Hansen as a suspect in forged check cases, including one at the Fred Meyer store on Federal Way several weeks prior.

Boise Police Detectives had been actively searching for the suspect and had previously met with the suspects Probation Officer trying to locate him.

What the Officers knew as they responded at 10:49 p.m. Monday, April 2nd to the call of a forgery in progress to the Fred Meyer on S. Federal Way:

Ø The suspect’s identity - the suspect had been tentatively identified by a store clerk who had been notified by Boise Police March 26th that the suspect was in the area using forged or stolen checks.

Ø The suspect had a Felony Warrant for his arrest for recent forgeries.

Ø The suspects criminal history included a charge of Battery on a Corrections Officer.

Ø That detectives were actively searching for the suspect.

When the Officers Met the Suspect:

Ø Officer Davis initially walked into the store at 10:59 p.m. as the suspect was walking out.

Ø Officer Davis called the suspect by name and verbally placed him under arrest.

Ø As Officer Davis attempted to place the suspect under arrest, he violently resisted. The struggle took both Officer Davis and the suspect to the ground.

Ø Officer Stephens arrives on scene and attempts to assist in the arrest.

Ø Both officers heard what they believed was the “clicking” of the suspect opening a knife as his hands were concealed beneath him, then see the suspect with a knife.

Ø Both officers backed off the suspect and discontinued the physical struggle.

Ø The suspect began to run into the store still holding the knife and turns a nearby corner.

Ø Both officers followed the suspect a short distance, with their guns drawn.

Ø Both officers believed the suspect was watching them.

Ø When the officers turned a corner, both saw the suspect within close range. Both officers described the motion of the suspect as a “lunge” toward them with the knife in his right hand. Both officers say they believed the suspect was about to attack them with the knife.

Ø Both officers recall being in fear for their lives and the lives of store employees and customers.

Ø Both officers were within 7 – 10 feet of the suspect.

Ø Both officers fired their weapons. A total of three shots were fired. All three hit the suspect. According to the Ada County Coroner, two of the three shots were fatal.

Ø Officer Davis fired first. The second and third shots followed approx. a second later and were fired by the officers simultaneously.

Ø Officer Davis recalls his first shot hitting the suspect on the left side. According to the Ada County Coroner, there is a shot that entered the suspect’s inside upper left arm, in the bicep. Investigators believe it was the first shot that hit the suspect in the left arm as he lunged forward with his right, and that momentum carried the suspect's body around in a left rotation. The other two shots, entered the suspect in the rear of the suspect’s upper left shoulder and lower right back. Investigators believe these were the second and third shots fired.

Ø According to the coroner, both shots into the suspect’s torso were fatal.

Ø The suspect fell to the ground with the knife still in his right hand.

Ø The officers yelled at the suspect, who appeared to be still conscious, to release the knife, and ordered store employees and customers to stay back.

Ø Both Officer Davis and Stephens secured the scene until back up officers arrived a short time later and paramedics were allowed to assist the suspect and take him to the hospital.

Ø The suspect later died at a local hospital.

Ø This entire exchange took place in approx. 35 seconds.

The Investigation:

Investigators have learned that the suspect, Hansen, has a prior criminal history including Battery on a Correctional Officer in 2003 and Resisting and Obstructing Officers from Twin Falls in 2006.

13 witnesses who were inside the store at the time of the shooting have been interviewed by CITF investigators. The witnesses are a mixture of store employees and customers.

Garden City Police are leading the investigation of the Ada County Critical Incident Task Force.

The CITF report will be turned over to the Ada County Prosecutor for review upon completion.

Update on Persons of Interest:

Boise Police and CITF investigators have located Avis Star, a person previously identified as a person of interest wanted for questioning in connection with the Boise forgery case. No charges face Star at this time and she is no longer a person of interest.

Investigators are still searching for James D. Anderson as a person of interest in the Boise forgeries. Anderson is 46, believed to be from the Twin Falls area, driving a silver ’98 Ford Econoline van with Twin Falls plates. Anyone with information on Anderson is urged to call CrimeStoppers at 343-COPS.